Gaara and Hinata's beautiful days

5. Once upon a time

It was a beautiful night.

Gaara was walking Hinata home.

As they approached the front of the Hyuuga estate, Neji appeared.

Neji: "Oh no… Hinata is with Gaara."

Hinata: "N-Neji? Is that you?"

Neji : "Hinata it's late."

Hinata: "I'm sorry. I was with Gaara for most of the day."

Neji: "So… the two of you didn't know…"

Gaara: "Know what?"

Neji: "There was a surprise party for Gaara today. Hinata, it's his birthday."

Hinata: "I didn't know! I'm so sorry, Gaara."

Gaara: "You don't have to apologize. I actually knew Kankuro was up to something for my birthday. But I did have a wonderful time today with a friend."

Neji: "Friend?"

Gaara was looking at Hinata.

Gaara: "Just friends of course."

She was pleased with how understanding he was.

Hinata said goodnight to him and Neji and she went inside.

Neji: "I'm sorry if she acted strange around you… she's like that."

Gaara: "Strange? She's… perfect. Goodnight, Neji."

He disappeared under the streetlight.

Another beautiful day descended upon Konoha.

When Gaara woke up he was welcomed by some angry siblings who started to shower him with unopened presents and an uneaten cake which was oddly disfigured. They started giving him a headache so he decided to go outside and find some breakfast on his own.

He walked aimlessly and hungrily through the streets.

It led him in front of Hinata's place.

The smell of breakfast was too tempting to resist.

Hinata was cooking breakfast today. She woke up in a good mood.

Neji, Lee, Kiba, and Shino were sitting at a table waiting for breakfast.

The rest had heard from Neji about how Hinata has formed some kind of friendship on her own with Gaara. It seemed like their little lie could be in the clear for now.

No worries….

"What smells so good?"

Kiba jumped out of his seat, Neji dropped the newspaper he was reading, Lee almost spilled his orange juice, and Shino's sunglasses almost fell off.

Gaara appeared out of nowhere and sat himself down.

The others stuttered a good morning.

Hinata entered the room with stacks of pancakes.

Lee: "Hinata, your friend is here."

Hinata: "Friend…?"

She saw Gaara staring at her and the pancakes.

Hinata: "G-Gaara? Would you like some pancakes?"

Everyone sat at the table looking at Hinata's pancakes.

They were perfect.

But the boys didn't know how to eat them.

Hinata: "You mean none of you have ever eaten pancakes before?"

Gaara picked up his fork and examined its pointy prongs.

Hinata walked over to Gaara and showed him how to cut his pancakes with the fork. Everyone tried doing exactly what she did.

By the time breakfast was over, syrup and pieces of pancakes were all over the table along with bent forks.

Hinata just smiled amusingly.

Gaara stared at the beautiful sky on that beautiful day.

Hinata sat next to him on her porch and put a little box on his lap.

Gaara: "What is this?"

Hinata: "A g-gift."

Blushes of sorts appeared on her already red cheeks.

Gaara: "For what?"

Hinata: "Your birthday."

Gaara didn't know what to expect from it. It was the tiniest gift of all his birthday presents. Nobody gives the kazekage a small gift in a small box. But a feeling of pleasure escaped through a tiny smile as he held it in his hands and started to open it.

Gaara: "The tragedy of Romeo and Juliet."

Hinata: "I-It's one of my favorite stories."

Gaara turned the first page and there was a picture of a boy and a girl holding a rose.

He saw something between them that he wanted to share with Hinata. He wanted that and something else he couldn't describe.

Gaara read the first page and he handed it to Hinata who read the second. After awhile of passing the book between each other, they were sitting close enough for both to see the book's pages and they started to take over certain lines of certain characters. Night silently appeared and they read on the porch under a lantern.

Gaara: "A glooming peace this morning with it brings;
The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head:
Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things;
Some shall be pardon'd, and some punished:
For never was a story of more woe
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo."

Hinata was quiet as she remembered how she used to dream of having such a strong love with Naruto. She dreamed of a hope that could be found even beyond love… if there was such a thing.

Gaara: "Hinata?"

Hinata: "Yes?"

Gaara: "Why did you give me something so sad?"

Hinata had to wonder for awhile herself. It was very sad even if it did have an undying romance.

Hinata: "I… I read that story and I couldn't get over how it made me feel. I wanted to share with you how I felt."

Gaara turned the last page. There was a picture of the two tragic souls lying side by side in their coffins. Their faces were facing each other. Vines and leaves of roses coiled around their coffins.

Sadness consumed him. But another emotion overwhelmed him as well: Fear.

He dropped the book and embraced Hinata in desperation.

The moment he touched her, tears started to fall from her eyes and she sobbed in his arms.

Never leave me, cherished one…